The giffgaff manifesto

Written Summer 2009

Typical - Just as the caring, sharing attitude of the 90s exited the swing-doors of the millennium, in came the mass-market mobile phone network on the other side. So we never really got to see how the two of them would hit it off together. (You're probably anticipating an 'Until now...' line. Here it is.)

Until now...

We're giffgaff, a David amongst Goliaths in Mobile-land. We may be sort-of-small but we're big on that caring, sharing thing. We believe in community; in people; In the person but specifically, that the power should rest with them.

Now, if that makes you think we're a bunch of do-gooders... good. It beats the opposite, doesn't it? In fact, we're the opposite in many respects. It's a stubborn trait that all revolutionaries have. You can be sure that if all the huge corporate mobile networks teamed up and started an anti-spongecake movement, we'd be hoisting that pro-spongecake flag quicker than you could say 'Just a thin slice, please'.

Anyway, we veered off topic. Cakes do that to a person. giffgaff is an ancient Scottish word that means 'mutual giving'. That pretty much sums us up. We believe in listening to our members. Involving them. Being run by them. Rewarding them with money. The idea is that if we all work together, we can really go places, not least to that Utopian place called Cheapersimplerfairercommunicating. (Hey, don't stamp on our dream: there is such a place.)

giffgaffers can help each other by answering one another's questions. They can recruit new people to the cause. They can come up with new ideas that improve the way we're run. They can suggest worthy causes for us to plough our money into.

Our time has come, no? Haven't the big networks become a little too faceless with their massive call centres, their glossy TV ads, their high street shops full of shiny-suited salesmen, their endless handset "deals" and their long contracts so indecipherable you sense the penmanship of Dan Brown?

Now, don't get us wrong. We're not necessarily anti-them. We wouldn't all be texting each other a squillion times a day if it wasn't for them. It's just that, surely there's room for a small one on top? One that's less, er, big... and more, er, people-y.

Come along and find out what our members think of us. Get the warts'n'all account on our website. You'll find the occasional grumble amongst the glowing tributes. And we're fine with that. It gives us clear direction on where our members think we have to make improvements.

We think we might be onto something. If you think we might be too, then please give us a trial run (and unlike Hotel California, if we aren't being true to our word, you can always leave) and join the community that believes there is a better way to do mobile.